A short time ago, the whip-smart and impeccably-dressed law firm marketing director Jonathan Fitzgarrald launched a new blog, Bad for the Brand, in which he explores the nature of brands both corporate and personal. This isn't a tour of logos and taglines, but rather a discussion of reputation management. What makes a good brand? What actions can harm a brand? How are sustainable brands built? How do they wither? And so on.
I'm humbled to report that Jonathan recently interviewed me for one of his Best of the Brands profiles and found my comments lucid enough to publish! Our discussion centered on personal branding and what I have done in my career to build and maintain my own brand, such as it is. Click here for the full interview. Jonathan does a good job of capturing my personal branding philosophy as follows:

Be authentic; what you see is what you get

Be passionate about what you do

Have a long-term perspective on relationship building

Don't “sell out” or give up in the face of adversity, such as during an economic downturn

Strive to live a well-balanced life

As I have relayed many times through anecdotes on this blog, I have learned so much from others, and I've made many mistakes while learning my craft. Like anyone, who I have become is some alchemic blend of upbringing, experience, mistakes made and observed, aspirations and pure luck. Knowing that others place some value on this combination is both surprising and humbling, though I haven't ever really considered it a brand. But knowing that Jonathan and others have certain expectations of my "brand promise" is a good motivator!

Many thanks to Jonathan for the kind gesture. I hope his law firm employers recognize how well his efforts support their own brand message of excellence.